Universal quality public services and decent work are goals of economic development, to which international trade is but a means. Trade treaty rules should not force privatisation, nor interfere with the restoration or expansion of public services, where experiments with private provision fail or are rejected by democratically-elected governments. Trade treaties must not close policy space or inhibit innovation in public service provision.
You can read the full PSI statement on their website here
Section headings include:
- Trade agreements should not undermine provision of quality public services or decent work.
- Treaties to promote international trade must fully exclude coverage of public services and preserve the ability of governments to restore, revitalize or expand public services.
- Given these threats, and the corporate pressure driving the talks, the official secrecy surrounding the TISA negotiations is disturbing and unacceptable.
- Trade agreements should not encourage privatisation.
- 'Negative list' binds future governments in as-yet-unknown ways.
- Obligatory "standstill" and "ratchet" provisions bind future governments.
- Domestic regulation should not be extended; and there should be no private dispute panels.
- Trade agreements should not regulate labour migration.
- Trade negotiators should not have unlimited authority to determine sectoral regulations.